Thursday, August 6, 2009

Dear Fellow Travelers,
One of the things about the life of Jesus that has intrigued me over the years is the ability He demonstrated to remain focused, even in the midst of extreme adversity. For most of us, even the slightest adversity distracts us; consequently, most of us live life in a “state of distraction.”
The fact is no one has ever had to endure the relentless adversity that Jesus did; yet, His ability to remain focused is unparalleled. Some of you are probably thinking that He was able to do this because of who He was, but we must not forget that He was fully human, being tempted in every way that we are tempted.
His experience on the Mount of Temptation illustrates my point quite well (see Matthew 4:1-11). As you know, He had just spent forty days and nights in the wilderness, fasting under extreme adversity, when Satan shows up in an effort to distract Him through very enticing temptations. Amazingly, during this entire forty-day experience, He never lost focus, not even for a second; instead, He remained faithful to His mission and purpose.
Be honest. How easily are you distracted from God’s mission and purpose for your life? What (who) is presently distracting you? Are you presently experiencing an adversity that is distracting you? Is the focus of your life more on you and your circumstances, or on the abundant life that He died to give to you?
These are the words of Paul: “But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3).
I hope you will give this some thought, especially in light of the fact that Satan will do whatever he can to rob you of the joy of living in the simplicity and purity of devotion to Jesus.